Singapore's new bus operator Go-Ahead to start services on Sept 4

The firm will start with 13 bus services and later it will introduce 11 more routes on September 18.

Singapore's newest bus operator, Go-Ahead, along with Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Thursday that it is all set to start operations in two tranches from September 4.

The firm said it will start with 13 bus services and later it will introduce 11 more routes on September 18. Commuters will be offered a new bus service in 2017. The details of the new service will be announced later.

Changi Airport, Changi Village, Changi Business Park, New Bridge Road and Upper East Coast Bus Terminals are also included in the bus service list.

The new bus services are a part of the Loyang bus package, which the firm won in a government tender in November 2015.

"We would like to assure commuters that LTA and the operators have been working hard to make this transition as seamless as possible and to bring about a better commuter experience with more regular bus timings and smoother bus rides," LTA's chief executive Chew Men Leong told The Straits Times.

Go-Ahead Singapore plans to restructure the bus industry to boost service standards. It is the second bus company after Tower Transit Singapore to join the industry under the Government contracting model.

The managing director of Go-Ahead, Nigel Wood, said the firm is in its last stages of preparations.

"Over the last few months, we have met a number of important targets, such as bus captain recruitment, creation of a service control centre and commissioning a number of brand new buses," Wood said.

He also asked commuters to keep track of the publicity materials for the upcoming bus route details and timetables.